Just read the producer's letter. Anyone have a clue what Alternate Personas, "where you can swap between different classes quicker while retaining your current inventory, crafting skills, and flags" might be about? We can't switch classes now except to switch to a different toon so this was a bit hard to envision. Will it have a cost? Will it allow you to set up any race for any class for one toon? Will your class only gear change classes and focus items? It's an interesting idea but does not seem very practical on the surface.
In the Code Update notes in the Beta forums (which look like they've been cleared for the next expansion): *** Miscellaneous *** - Increased the maximum level cap to 125. - Shrouding will now close multiple windows that may become unusable in your new form. *** UI *** - Fixed items sometimes not highlighting in the inventory. - Fixed item icons lingering in the inventory after being donated for Tribute. So ... I'm guessing a new-ish shrouding system is what this is.
Because of the amount of coding that would be involved, I don't see this as being like a FF jobs system. It's far more likely to be more shared DB info between characters on a single server/account combo, so shared flagging (repeatedly asked for), shared TS progression (repeatedly asked for), an expanded shared storage of some kind, and a way to swap characters in-game without having to log to character select. I wouldn't expect it to go beyond the class/race restrictions we have now.
I doubt I will use Persona switching but I can see the appeal to a lot of players. I wonder if a persona switch will require a token from the DB marketplace though.
The people imagining a per-switch charge and huge punishing cooldowns I think are missing the point this is an expansion feature. Neither of those ideas could be marketed very well, and the term "Personas" implies being able to switch back and forth. This sounds like more than shrouds 2.0 to me. If I were to make a wild guess, they are using or revamping/replacing shroud inventory management code to handle this. I consistently forget shrouds exist so I'm not too on top of all the details on that. This is definitely really curious though, and a huge game changer. This definitely reminds me of Final Fantasy XIV. In that game weapons are job specific and if you change weapons out of combat you switch jobs (classes). Originally some jobs could cross classes so some key skills were only gained if levelling multiple jobs but they axed that entirely. That's not how it works in EQ of course since most weapons are not class specific. It's going to be a long wait for details on this. It absolutely will go live. They can't just advertise something and go "oh nope never mind." That's not how things work. These things take massive planning and can't be dreamed up weeks before beta. If it really is class swapping the implications are insane (no connotation there other than intensity), especially if you can share gear that isn't locked by class.
If it is just a shroud system like the previous one that would be a huge disappointment. I think the final fantasy system works well so hoping for something closer to that.
The change you're referring to is an unrelated bug fix. Certain windows that were created after the shroud system remain open when you shroud. The fix closes them to prevent stale data.
If there ever is another Fan Faire, may I suggest two row boats in the parking lot with ForumQuesters in one boat and devs. in the other. Let the battle rage!
The wording is very specific - "where you can swap between different classes quicker while retaining your current inventory, crafting skills, and flag". The word 'quicker' implies you could do this already. Due to the wording, my guess is this is basically fast alt switching with the shared call outs. If that is indeed the case, the idea is as pointless as the Oakwynd server. Duoclassing would be a lot more intriguing.
Even if that's what it means, it still would upgrade every item in the game to "Heirloom." They said classes not characters though.
So what you are saying is that the report is unrelated to Shroud System 2.0 ... ... check! Edit - I bet it kills you to have to stay mum for 5 more days...
Yes, they'll probably make it just annoying enough that nobody will want to use it. And then.... nobody will use it
